Summer Strawberries

I know, two posts in one day – go figure. I should have my blogging license revoked, because I sure don’t follow the rules! It seems it’s either feast or famine with me.

Today we’re feasting -- on strawberries. Speaking of which, I will share an embarrassing little secret: There was a summer day, very long ago when my kids were small, that I dropped them all off with a friend so I could indulge in a basket of strawberries all by myself, no sharing! Shameful, huh?

When I saw the Flourishes Any Which Way Sketch Challenge this week, I couldn't wait to pull out my Strawberries set and get to work on it. Technically, it is still summer, and I’m not letting go of it too easily. There are still strawberries at the fruit store. OK, with today’s global shipping they’re there all year, but still… 

The image is colored with Copic markers (duh), matted on Garden Green cardstock, and popped up on foam dots. I punched a hole on the left side to thread some red herringbone twill ribbon through and tied a bow (haven’t done that in a while!). The card base is covered with red gingham paper from the Simple Stories Summer Fresh pad, and a strip of blue calico print paper (from the same pad) finishes it off. Very summer-in-the-country looking, huh?

I love me some Flourishes stamps when I feel like coloring (which is almost all the time), and I’m so glad that Kate is now carrying them at i {heart} papers.

And I think I’m gonna head out to the fruit store right now!

Sunflowers

On vacation this summer, while taking a bus tour through  Romania on the way to the Danube Delta, we passed several seemingly endless fields of sunflowers. Apparently sunflower oil is one of their major products. Anyway, when I recently got the coordinating dies to the PTI Autumn Abundance set, I couldn’t wait to pull out the sunflower image and play with it. And this week’s Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge was just the way to use it.

The blue printed papers are from the Teresa Collins Every Day Moments pad, and the golden print is from Studio Calico’s Memoir pad. The greeting is from the PTI Communique Curves Sentiments set. The white self-adhesive lace trim finishes it off perfectly. And of course, the image is colored with Copic markers.

Here’s another one I made last week using the same image (I cut and colored both at the same time).

I know I used another card or sketch as inspiration for this one, but darned if I can remember where I saw it! If I find it, I’ll be sure and come back to give credit. Anyhow, same golden paper from the Studio Calico’s Memoir pad. The greeting, I’m pretty sure, is from another PTI set, and the satin ribbon is also PTI. I really need to tack those ribbon strips down so they stay in place!

Enjoy your Sunday!

August IHP Design Team Challenge: Inspired by…

This month’s i {heart} papers Design Team challenge was create something inspired by this lovely photo. These corals and oranges seem to be very popular for the coming season.

I decided to use these colors to design a scrapbook page about my favorite subject: my sweet little granddaughter, Lilia. Fortunately, my son and daughter-in-law keep me well supplied with pictures, and this little triptych is among my current favorites.

It was VERY hard to get a good picture of this page. My scanner does not handle 12x12, and just about every photo I took showed either glare or shadow.

All of the patterned papers I used were from the Tangerine 6x6 pad from My Mind’s Eye – even the little word pieces are cut from one of the papers. It’s part of their The Sweetest Thing line, and it’s just gorgeous! I die-cut the letters from the paper, too.  I used two strips of 5/8” pink twill ribbon along the top of the bottom strip.

Those of you with a keen eye will notice that I used 6x6 paper on a 12x12 page. Yeah, that was a bit of a challenge in itself, and I can’t say I’m thrilled with the results. The seams are not invisible, and even my lame attempt to repair the bottom one in Photoshop didn’t help much. Oh well…don’t look at the faults, just look at the adorable baby!

Now go check out what the rest of the design team did with this inspiration challenge.

• Deb
• Gretchen
• Loretta
• Lori
• Tracy
• Kate

Happy hopping!

Balloon Boy

Just a quickie. Coloring again. A week ago or so, Amy Rysavy posted this card and video and I was smitten with it! It’s possible I ordered this stamp from Kate simply so I could try the techniques myself. Just saying.

What I used:
Stamps: Balloon Kiddo (Stampendous), Think Big Favorites #14 (PTI)
Ink: Memento Black, Copic markers
Other: Eclipse masking tape

Off to the movies today. Have a good one!

Long time, no see…

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted to the blog. I sort of have an excuse, though. I’ve been on an amazing Black Sea cruise and was away for almost two weeks! I suppose I could have planned and pre-loaded posts for while I was gone, but frankly, I’m just not that organized. Anyhow, more on my trip in another post; most of you are here to see either cards or cakes!

Today it’s cards. I just got an order from i {heart} papers and couldn’t wait to play with these new stamps from Flourishes. I love Marcella Hawley’s designs, and I’m so glad Kate is carrying these stamps! I decided to use all three of the flower images in the set to make a trio of coordinating cards.

Here’s the first one, and here’s a closeup of the flowers:

Here’s the second one:
and a closeup: 

And the third:
and the closeup:
I had a lot of fun coloring these. I’m not pretending I have mad coloring skills, but I think I’ve gotten better with practice. As you can see, the layout I used was quite simple. I rummaged through my gazillion paper pads and found coordinating, simple patterns to layer them on, and embellished each with a strip of white lace from my stash. Each image is colored with 6 billion Copic markers, and cut out with a different Nestabilities die.

I do have more things to show you. I’ve actually done quite a bit of creating in the week or so since I’ve been back. Maybe I’ll post another couple of cards tomorrow.

Until then, enjoy the rest of your weekend!

IHP DT Challenge: Pile it on, use it up!

This month our challenge was pretty much a free-for-all: use as many IHP products as we could pile onto our project without it looking garish. I know that Kate is trying to clear up space for the new stuff she’s ordering from this summer’s CHA releases (I’ll talk more about that further down), so I took that to mean we should try to use up some of our stash. As if I could even begin to…

I started by selecting a sketch that had lots of layers – what better way to pile on the paper! The Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge this week fit the bill perfectly. I decided to turn it on its side, since I wanted to do a horizontal arrangement of the stamps.

My son and his family are moving to Boston this month (yaaaayyy!!!! Closer to grandma!), so I was inspired to use this Paper Smooches set, Vogue Abode, to celebrate the occasion. I used Basic Grey’s PB&J paper pad (5 different patterns from it), since it seemed to go with the retro look of the furniture. I paper-pieced the chairs and used Copic markers to finish them off. You can’t really tell, but the dark color in the papers is navy blue (as is the card base), making for a very cool, retro look. The vase in the center is coated with Crackle Accents (although I think the item was a little too small to really take advantage of the crackling effect).

The flower, which picks up the design in the base print, was made by punching out a 1” circle of Scor-Tape sheet, peeling the backing off one side, and starting at the outer edge, pressing this ruffled lace on, winding around to the middle. I stuck a cool square olive green button onto the middle with a clear pop-dot. Because the flower was built on a double-sided adhesive base, I just had to peel off the other side of the backing to stick it on!

Here’s a list of all the IHP products I used:
Stamps: Vogue Abode (Paper Smooches)
Ink: Memento black, Copic Markers 
Paper: PB&J 6x6 pad (Basic Grey)
Other: Scor-Tape 6x6 tiles, 5/8" Picnic Ruffles Aqua Blue, Crackle Accents

You should really head over to i {heart} papers right now, you know, because Kate is having a super-duper sale to clear out space for the new CHA stuff she’s ordering. Seriously, a really good sale from July 11-21.

• 25% off your order of $50 or more!
• Coupon code: CHA2012DT
• Storewide sale! Paper, Copics & refills, stamps, ribbon, everything!
• And still, as always, free US shipping with your $60 order!

But before you go shopping, check out the rest of the design team’s projects for a little added inspiration (to add to your shopping list?). Check ‘em out:

• Carolyn (you are here)
• Deb
• Gretchen
• Loretta
• Lori
• Tracy
• Kate

Happy hoppin’ and shoppin’!

A couple of cards (and an awesome SALE)

Oh, my poor neglected blog! It’s been so hot here in NYC lately that I haven’t felt much like doing anything besides sitting in front of my fan. I am too cheap to run my A/C except when I have to bake. I do have a couple of cards to show you, though. You’ll notice that they are very minimalist in style, reflecting my desire to do as little as possible due to the weather.

First up is this Hop-py Birthday bunny, inspired by a card by Clare Pretzzia in the recent issue of Stamp It! Cards. I used the Chicken Girl Design set Birthday Wishes (exclusive to i {heart} papers), fussy-cutting the bunny and balloon and popping them up with foam dots. The bunny is colored with Copic markers, and the balloon is paper-pieced with a scrap from the Pixie paper pack by Memory Box. I split the greeting up on either side of the bunny. You can see that I just used some very simple layering for the card design.

Here’s some more simple layering. I truly need to keep better track of my inspirations; I know I got the idea of creating a cake out of words from somewhere, and I can’t remember where. The cake is made with the Birthday stamp (which I could have lined up a little better) from the Technique Tuesday set Swanky Sentiments, and the cake plate and candles are from the Mint Motif sets Cake Shoppe and Cake Shoppe, Too (both exclusive to i {heart} papers as well). Some Copic markers and Stickles finish it off. I scallop-punched the bottom of the main panel to mimic the scallops under the cake.

You’ll notice that all of the supplies I’ve mentioned are available from i {heart} papers. Kate has some of the BESTEST stuff around, and starting today, for a limited time, she’s making it especially rewarding for you to stash some of it away for yourself. She’s having a HUGE Pre-CHA clearance sale from July 11-21.

• 25% off your order of $50 or more!
• Coupon code: CHA2012DT
• Storewide sale! Paper, Copics & refills, stamps, ribbon, everything!
• And still, as always, free US shipping with your $60 order!

OK folks. Go do a little shopping, and keep COOL!

IHP June DT Challenge: Studio Calico Journal Kit

This month the i {heart} papers Design Team is showcasing these very cool 4x8” Journal Kits by Studio Calico. We also have a very special Guest Designer joining us this month: Michele Gross!

Not being a journaler (is that a word? my spell-check seems to think not), this was initially a very daunting challenge for me. I had already made a gratitude journal that I never used (shame on me).

And then I realized that since I am going on an amazing cruise of the Black Sea with my sister this summer, it would be great to have someplace to jot down notes along the way to help me remember it better, tuck away a few keepsakes, and maybe eventually add some photos.

I started by coating the front cover with white pigment ink and then embossing it with clear embossing powder. I cut a strip of paper from the Take Note 6x6 pad, also by Studio Calico. The colors and design seemed to reflect the feel of Turkey, which is where our trip begins.

The stamps I used for the whole project are from the Technique Tuesday set called R & R. How perfect, right? I stamped them with Memento Rich Cocoa ink and colored the image with Copic markers. And I finally got to use my Bind-It-All!

Inside the front cover, I adhered another piece of paper from that Take Note pad to write down the details of the trip.
I didn’t think about covering the board before I put the thing together, so I just cut a piece of cardstock a little short of the binding. Lesson learned.

All of the inside pages are stamped with another stamp from the R & R set.
I figured I can circle one of the phrases on each page depending on where we are when I am writing. I love how the pages are printed with a grid to make writing easier!

To keep track of little mementos, I bound a few envelopes into the book.
I snipped off a corner of the flap so it wouldn’t get caught in the binding.

Time will tell whether I actually use this very cute journal, given my track record, but I will try.

I hope you’re as excited as I am to see how the rest of the Design Team used this product. If you make one, please share with the rest of us by using the keyword “ihp0612” when you upload it to the SCS or PCP galleries.

Now let’s go check these out:

• Michele Gross, June's Guest Designer
• Carolyn (that’s me)
• Deb
• Gretchen
• Loretta
• Lori
• Lynn
• Tracy
• Kate

Happy cruising – I mean blog-hopping!

Happy Father’s Day!

Here are a few cards for all the dads, granddads, stepdads, and especially the NEW dads out there! Don’t have time to provide many details right now – overslept and I need to get moving.

Uses Technique Tuesday’s Swanky Sentiments stamp set.

Bottom border uses Mint Motif’s Beyond Borders, Too. Greeting and texture plate from PTI.

Stamps and texture plate from PTI.

Have a great day, all!

Look, Ma -- no coloring!

Not a bit! And no bling, and no ribbon! But I did use the same simple layout and the same dies as the last card I posted. And more supplies from i {heart} papers.
I just love that Floral Ovals die from Spellbinders. Apparently lots of others do too, because Kate keeps selling out of it! This time I used one of the Large Ovals dies to cut it into a frame. Then I used one of the Small Ovals dies to cut a hole in the rose cardstock layer (hint: temporarily adhere the frame to the layer, place the smaller die inside, and run the whole thing through the Big Shot for perfect placement!).

I lightly traced the oval cutout onto the white base card for easy placement of the stamped image. These stamps are from On the Line, by Gourmet Rubber Stamps. (hint: erase the pencil marks after the ink is dry, and before you assemble the card – don’t ask.) I paper-pieced the little baby clothes with papers from the Basic Grey Konnichiwa 6x6 pad. The rose layer is then attached to the base with foam dots.

Hope you like the card, and that you find the hints helpful. Someone should learn from my mistakes, since I seem not to!

May the bluebird of happiness…

OK, I need someone old like me to help me remember which show from long ago had a shtick that started with this. Was it Laugh-In? I think Johnny Carson used it, too.Anyhow, this is just a pretty birthday card made with some of my favorite goodies from i {heart} papers, some old, some new. You can tell I’ve been in the mood for coloring lately.

What I used:
Stamps: Bird on Dogwood Branch (Stampavie); Everything Happy (Stampendous)
Ink: Memento black, Copic markers 
Paper: Everyday Moments (Teresa Collins)
Other: Ovals, and Floral Ovals dies (Spellbinders) – seems to be out of stock. If you ask nicely, maybe Kate can get more in.

Have a wonderful weekend, and may the bluebird of happiness…well, do whatever it’s supposed to do.

Playing Catch-up (again)

I’ve had these cards photographed and ready to post for weeks. These, and more. But we’ll start with these.

All supplies, other than the cardstock, are from i {heart} papers. This one uses paper from the Basic Grey Plumeria pad. I actually made 3 of these using paper from that pad, as you’ll see below. The window was made with the Memory Box Small Madison Window die, the clouds are made with the Puffy Clouds die. I made the molding by just scoring a strip of white cardstock. The greeting banner was notched by hand; the stamp is from the Mint Motif set Simply Sentiments (exclusive to IHP). The flowers showing through the window are Flower Soft. What you can’t tell from the photo is that the base card is light blue, and the whole “wall” is a separate layer attached with foam dots, with the clouds and flowers glued onto the blue base.

 
The next one uses paper from the Kaiser Craft Charlotte’s Dream pad.
The pattern on the peach-y paper is much prettier in real life – it’s shiny embossed. The sentiment on the focal piece, which was cut with the Spellbinders Floral Ovals die, is from the Hero Arts set Good Friends, which I’ve been giving a good workout! The image stamped behind the sentiment is – hmmmm, I honestly can’t remember where I pulled that from. If I find it I’ll come back and fix the post.

Anyhow, it’s embellished with a few pearls, and a few fabric flowers that were trimmed from a strip of the Tim Holtz Lavish trimmings. Now, the trimmings in the package are off-white, but I airbrushed them with a Copic marker to make them match the paper. Magic!

OK folks, that’s enough for now. I’ve got more to share, but you’ll have to wait a bit.

Hope you’re enjoying your weekend!

Still Coloring…

OK, coloring again. I did stop and do other things, like get out and enjoy a bit of the gorgeous weather we’re having here in NYC today. But more flower images were calling me, and I’m soooo weak….
Another little set from Taylored Expressions – Spring Tulips. Again, no greeting. It can be an “anything” card. No bling, nor ribbon, just the pretty flowers and more of the lovely paper from the Teresa Collins Fabrications line.

Pretty flowers make me happy.

Be happy.

Bright and Beautiful

Last night I felt like coloring. It’s one of my favorite ways to unwind from a stressful week – something about the focus it requires that just removes you from the rest of the world for a bit.

I couldn’t resist this stamp from Taylored Expressions when it came out this month. I LOVE gerbera daisies! I wasn’t feeling terribly imaginative, so I basically colored them the way they were on the package, using a whole mess of Copic markers.
I didn’t stamp a sentiment on it. First, I don’t know what I’m going to use it for, and second, I’m afraid I’ll mess it up if I do. Can you imagine spending hours (yes, hours) coloring and making a card, and then stamping the sentiment crooked or smudged? Done it.

This card just makes me happy, just the way it is! I used stuff I hadn’t touched in a long time, like that border punch, and those cool shiny fuchsia dots that I’ve had in my stash since who knows when. And those bright, beautiful flowers make me smile.

Hope your day is bright and beautiful too!

IHP May DT Challenge – and a SALE!

This is a jam-packed post today, folks! Make sure you read all the way through or you might miss something really good.

First, today is our May i {heart} papers Design Team Challenge. This month we are all using stamps from Paper Smooches.

I used a cute new set called Happy Camper. Now, I’m so NOT a camper, although I did try it a few times many years ago. Nope, I’ll take a comfy hotel bed and room service over a sleeping bag on the ground and canned beans any old day! But as you can see, there are some really cute things you can do with this set that don’t relate to camping at all. I colored the bear with Copic markers E25 and E27, and used one of them (can’t remember which) to airbrush the bling to match.

I also used some of the Konnichiwa paper from Basic Grey. As you can see, there are some nice, non-flowery papers in that pad. I think this card could even be considered masculine – is that too much of a stretch?

Now, you’ll definitely want to jump on this little piece of news: IHP is having their Spring Cleaning Sale! Beginning today, May 15th through May 19th. Save up to 50% on selected items and as always, free US shipping with your $60 order!

All stamps 15% off! Spellbinders 20% off! Alterables 25% off! Inks (Sorry, Copics are excluded due to the manufacturer's strict pricing rules) 10% off! 12x12 Collection Packs 15% off! 6x6 and 8x8 pads 10% off! Embossing folders 30% off! And much more!

PLUS! Have you heard about IHP's new rewards from the {heart} referral rewards program? If you love IHP and are looking for another reason to spread the word to your friends, you’ll now be rewarded for doing just that! With our new rewards from the {heart}, simply refer a new customer and earn 10% of their first order placed in the form of a gift certificate. Just have them list you in the “how did you hear about us” section at checkout and 10% of their order will be given back to you as a thank you.

Here are the nitty-gritty details: they must list you at time of checkout; rewards are not valid for any past sales and are only valid for their first order -- but you can refer as many people as you like! There is no limit to the rewards you can earn. We appreciate that you love IHP and want to give back when you share the love. Enjoy, and thanks!

Now, go forth and shop! And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Design Team’s challenge posts for inspiration:

• Carolyn (you are here)
• Deb
• Gretchen
• Loretta
• Lori
• Lynn
• Tracy
• Kate